In an interview, I was asked who I suggest people follow on Twitter. Favorite lists are difficult; we chose who we follow based on our personal interests and on the way we use Twitter. Recommendations are a matter of taste, and we create twitter lists according to our preferences.
But how should we chose the people to follow?
By the number of followers? So many things affect that number. For celebrities and other well-known people, many who follow them are not active users of Twitter, so the large following may be based less on what the big name says than on the big name having said it.
#FF (Friday Follow) recommendations? This hashtag has virtually disappeared. Some people persist, but often #FF is a reward extended to a Twitter friend and even a request to have the favor returned. If a recommendation doesn’t include a reason for following, you can ignore it.
Discussions? Dialogue is a good sign. You can’t go by the number of tweets, however; different people speak at different rates. Then, too, some people seem to engage in sham discussions to maintain and increase their visibility.
My interviewer wanted names, and so I suggested some good non-celebrities. Sadly, my list had to leave out many people I’ve actively followed for years, people whose ideas I sincerely appreciate. If you’d like the complete set of recommendations, check the list of people I follow on Twitter.